The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-01-13
HORRIBLE COLLISION.
Engines and Coaches Telesc0ped, the Wreck
Takes Fire and Passengers Burned to Death
The Number Of Victims Unknown, but Esti-
mated at from Seventeen to Twenty Two.


The Number Of Victims Unknown, but Esti-
mated at from Seventeen to twenty-five
One OF the most horrible accidents ever
chroniclsd occurred near Republic, eight
miles east OF Titfin, Ohio. The accounts say
that the conductor OF a freight train pulled
out for Scipio, where he was to side-track
for an express train. Half a mile west of
Republic, the train came to u standstill,
being unable to move further. Just hire
was made the horrible mistake VII ch
resulted in the loss OF many lives and
the destruction OF thousands of dollars
worth OF property. Although the conduc.
tor must have known that he was en-
eroaching dangerously near the time OF the
express, he did not send out the signal
until after his train had come to
standstill and found it impossible to
move further. The engines OF the two
trains reared into the air like a pair OF en-
ragged living monsters, and then settled
down upon the track, driven into each other
until the cylinders touched. The force OF
the impact iammed the baggage cars into
tn Q tender and into thefast train, the ex-
press car into the baggage, and the same
in the express. In less than five minutes
from the moment OF the collision, and be-
fore any organized effort at rescue could be
made tire fire OF the overturned stoves COM
municated to the woodwork, and the flames
leaped high into the air. their roar min
Cling with the cries OF anguish OF the i'm
prisoned victims, to whom death in its
most terrible form was horrible presence.
The trainmen and uninjured passengers
were powerless, and could do nothing to
rescue the sufferers.
The number actually lost may never be
known, but it has been placed at twenty.
two. There were sixty-five passengers on
the train.
A dispatch from Milwaukee says: Pri-
vate telegrams from Bellaire, Ohio, an
nounce that Grant Russell and George
Simpson OF this city were on the wrecked
train. AS their relatives here can get no
word from them it is believed they perished.
One correspondent gives seventeen as
the number who were killed. and ays that
out OF fifteen passengers in the smoker but
one escaped.
Charles p. Toll OF Detroit. who was on
the wrecked train, gives an account OF the
disaster, in which he saws:
No one in the sleeper was niured in the
least. Among the passengers in the sleep.
er were Mrs. Fish OF Joliet, ILL.,, a sister OF
Gen. Logan, and her son Charles, neither
terrific that the farmers in the neighbor-
hood took it to be an earthquake, and
were soon at the scene OF the wreck. In
the confusion of the wreck q
hot dispute arose among the train
men as to the responsibility for
the disaster. 1t appeared that the freight
train was running on the time Of the ex.
press. The engineer was heard to remark
that he had left the last siding with only
thirty pounds OF steam, and on the up
grade east OF Tifin his engine went back
on him" and the train stalled. No danger
signals were sent out ahead, and the ex-
press, running at full speed down grade
| and around curve, had no warning OF
impending disaster until an instant before
the collision.
G. P. Bradley of Washington, D. c., was
| found hanging from the window OF the
smoker, but his legs were fast and he could
not be removed. There he remained until
he was burned to death and his charred
remains fell to the ground. He was con-
scious and gave his address to the bystand-
| ers.
Joseph Postlethwaite, aged fifty-seven,
and his sons. Spencer, aged eighteen, and
Henry, aged eleven, were sitting in the
same seat in the smoker and their char
red remains were found in the ruins OF the
| car.